SYLLABUS

MUSIC 408 E

(timings are tentative)

Spring 2013

January 14 - 23

Course organization.
Recapitulation: Tonality, tone-row, traditional forms.
• The tonal system as hierachy.
• Row, matrix, combinatoriality.
  assignment due: 1/18
• New sounds, old forms:
  • Schwiters - "Ursonate"
  • Tzara - "L'admiral..."
• Musique concrete
  • Pierre Schaeffer - "Etude aux chemins de fer"
  assignment due: 1/25

• New sounds, new forms: Proportions, Cage's Square root method
  • "Sonatas and Interludes"
    reading ssignment due: 1/28

January 25 - February 13

Integral Serialism

• Strict organization at all parameters. Forerunners: Webern; Messian: modes and "Mode de valeurs"
  • "Schoenberg Is Dead"
  • Boulez: Structure Ia Variations
• Domain technique, Koblyakov
  • Boulez: "Le marteau sans maitre" Neoclassic suite ?
    assignment due: 2/6

• Electronic Music equipment. Group technique; additive synthesis
  • "Electronische Studie II"
  • "Gesang der Junglige"
  • "Gruppen fur 3 Orchester"
    reading ssignment due: 2/11

• "...how time passes..."

February 15 - March 11

Indeterminacy

• Chance Music
  • Zen and Dada
  • John Cage: material, structure, method, form.
    listening quizz I 2/18

  • Chance procedures
    • Music of Changes
    • Williams Mix
  • Number Pieces
    ssignment due: 2/22

• Aleatory Music
  • Umberto Eco - "Opera aperta"
    • Earl Brown - Folio and Four Systems
    • Zyklus
  • Formants; Boulez on sonata
    • Third piano sonata
    • Klavierstucke XI
      reading ssignment due: 2/27

  • Momente form
    • Momente
  • Composition Classes
    • Plus-minus (borrowings)
      ssignment due: 3/11

• Stochastic Music
  • Probability, stochastic distributions
    • Pithoprakta
    • Concrete PH
  • Sound mass
    • Ligeti- "Atmospheres"; Penderecki - "Threnody"
  • Computer-assisted composition
    • Illiac Suite
    • ST pieces
  • Form through juxtaposition
    reading/writing (Brun) ssignment due: 3/27

March 13 - March 15

• Synthesizers and Computer Sound Synthesis
  
  • Voltage-controlled equipment; Buchla, Moog, Beauchamp
    • Davidovsky - Synchronisms
    • W. Carlos - Switch on Bach
  • A little acoustics: how do we hear ? Sampling, ADC/DAC.
    • Max Mathews - Bicycle for Two

March 25 - April 10

• Concept Music, Graphic Scores, Minimalism, Microtonality
  • Textkomposition
    • Stockhausen - Aus den sieben Tagen
    • LaMonte Young - 1960 pieces
  • Minimalism/Phase Music; process music
    • Reich - Four Organs
    • Riley - In C
    • Stockhausen - Stimmung
      listening quizz II 3/27

  • Once Group
  • Danger Music; Fur Music; Bio Music
  • Graphic scores
    • Bussotti - Sete folgli
      writing (Stimmung) ssignment due: 4/3

    • Source magazine
  • Happenings
    ssignment due: 4/5

  • Microtonality; Proportions
    • Partch - Bewitched
    • Ben Johnston - String Quartet (Amazing Grace)

April 12 - May 1

• Science, Mathematics, Music, Technology
  • Xenakis - Formalized Music
    reading ssignment due: 4/12

    • Markov chains
    • Set Theory
      • Sieves
      • Group Theory
        • Herma
        • Nomos Alpha
      listening quizz III 4/17

    • Random Walks, arborescences
      • Mikka
      • Jonchaies
    • other techniques
    • Non-linear forms, borrowings, juxtaposition (JW)
      ssignment due: 4/22

  • Digital synthesis
    • Synthesis methods
      • LPC, FM, granular, physical modeling
    • UPIC
      • Mycenae alpha
    • GenDyn
    • Additive synthesis
  • Spectral music
    • Murail, Grisey
    listening quizz IV 4/26

  • Manifold compositions; multi-media; sonification

Final exam (comprehensive): 8:00-11:00 am, Friday, May 10